Top 10 Health & Fitness Tips For Women: Women’s Day Special!

And on this International Women’s Day, we share top fitness and diet tips for a healthy you.

A successful diet and exercise plan needs to be flexible and suit your lifestyle. It’s pretty impossible not to make some mistakes-eating as you’re dashing out the door, digging into a pint of chocolate ice cream, having a doughnut for breakfast. In fact, we expect you to slip up from time to time; you wouldn’t be human (or normal!) if you didn’t. The key is to let go of the guilt and get back on track ASAP.

Do not cut out any food groups. Aim to get 2 to 3 servings of lean protein, 3 servings of calcium, and 3 to 5 servings of healthy grains daily. Each meal (and some snacks) should include at least 1 fruit or vegetable.

Water for Life. Water is critical to replenish the lost fluids when you are working out. If you don’t replenish your internal water supply, you can easily become dehydrated-which in turn prevents your body from performing as it should. This is more of a problem for women than for men, because, unlike men, women tend to have more body fat than muscle. And body fat doesn’t hold water as well as muscle. Instead of picking up an energy drink, stick by old plain water and you will do just fine.

Pay attention to your form, breathing and alignment. Pay attention to your breath. Inhale a long and slow breath, follow with an equal and long exhalation; do not strain in any way. Continue this practice for 5 to ten breaths, and then allow your breath to assume its own natural rhythms but keep your attention lightly on it. Pay attention to your form and breathing. Do less but do it right!

Go for a Complete body check-up once every 6-8 months. Regular health exams and tests can help find problems before they start. They also can help find problems early, when your chances for treatment are better. As a woman, you need some special exams and screenings. Health check up might include, a pelvic exam, pap smear, a clinical breast exam etc.

Kick start your day with a big healthy breakfast. Breakfast can make or break a diet, because breakfast helps set the tone for the rest of the day. If you’re one of those people who thinks skipping breakfast is a good way to lose weight, think again. Eat clean and organic and try to stay away from processed meats and foods as much as possible.

Don’t obsess about food. The key is to eat simple. Sure, weight loss can help boost your confidence and add to your feelings of self-worth, but if the only goal you have for yourself revolves around your weight, then you are missing out on the rest of your life. Especially, if you are constantly obsessing about food.

Lift Weights. You will be able to build good quality muscles with the help of strength training. And there will be less chance of injury. Besides, lifting heavy or challenging weight can help you to release all the negative energy that you may be carrying around.

Choose to be around loving people. We don’t always have a choice — such as in work relationships — but when we do have a choice — such as in personal relationships — choosing to be around caring, supportive and accepting people will make you feel loved. If, when you have a choice, you consistently engage with unkind, judgmental or abusive people, the message you are sending to yourself is that you are not worth loving. Sharing love is the most fulfilling experience in life, but you need to be filled with love in order to have love to share. Learning to love yourself is what fills you with love.

Take care of your finances. When you overspend, putting yourself in unnecessary debt, you are left in a position where you cannot take care of yourself. Work on getting medical collections removed and tackling any credit card debt before it gets out of control. With well managed finances you feel secure and in control of your body and mind. Just as an actual child needs to feel safe regarding the necessities of life, your inner child needs to feel the same way.